A number of different kinds of inflatable articles are known, including dinghies, air-beds and inflatable chairs. Such articles are usually manufactured out of several plastics sheets which are sealed together to form the article. Typically, air-beds are made from at least four plastic sheets which are sealed together; manufacture therefore requires several stages.
Some inflatable articles are known which are capable of having their structure changed so that the article can be put to various uses. For example, a rectangular inflatable which might be used as an air-bed can be folded in half, so that one half of the structure forms the back of a chair, to which a seat base can be added, as shown in FIG. 1; alternatively, one half of the structure may rest on the other half to form the seat of a chair to which a back rest and also a head rest may be added, as shown in FIG. 2. However, such articles, like articles which cannot have their structure changed, lack support members within their structure.
When an article such as an inflatable chair lacks support members, it does not provide support for the waist and back of the user; the chair is thus uncomfortable to sit on. Also, the centre of gravity of a user and the chair is such that the user is often likely to be sitting in an unstable position.
An object of the present invention is to provide an inflatable article which is comfortable and that will provide a stable support for the user, in whatever intended use of the article. Another object of the invention is to provide an inflatable article which is simple to manufacture.